School Age Immunisation
General Information
Kernow Health CIC began delivering the School Immunisation Programme in Cornwall on behalf of NHS England back in 2016, and to this day we continue to cover all schools in the county, now offering more immunisations than ever before.
We were delighted to be awarded the contract to deliver the School Immunisation Programme in Devon in 2023 and are now working with schools, children and parents across both counties.
Why Vaccinations Are Important
Routine vaccinations are offered free of charge on the NHS to all eligible children and young people in the UK. Diseases are kept at bay by the high immunisation rates and that’s why it’s so important for us to protect young people against a range of diseases such as polio, cervical cancer, penile cancer, tetanus and diphtheria. For young children, it is also vital we protect them against flu.
How It Works
A vaccine contains a small part of the bacterium or virus that causes a disease, or tiny amounts of the chemicals that the bacterium produces. Vaccines work by causing the body’s immune system to make antibodies (substances to fight infections and diseases). So if you come into contact with the infection, the antibodies will recognise it and protect you. The flu vaccination for children is administered by a quick and simple spray up the nose, whilst the HPV vaccines, for example, are given via an injection.
Where Are The Vaccinations Carried Out?
Our school-age immunisation team is responsible for the planning and delivery of the school-age immunisation programmes in Cornwall and Devon. The vaccinations programmes are primarily carried out in schools, although we also offer clinics in other community settings for home-educated children and other children depending on individual need. Below, we provide advice and information for parents, clinical staff, schools, children and young people.
Catch-up clinics
If your child missed their flu vaccination, book onto one of our catch-up clinics. Contact our team to find out clinic dates and venues, and to make an appointment:
Cornwall:
Immunisation is a very important part of maintaining health, not just for you, but also for your families, friends and the entire population.
Our aim at Kernow Health CIC is to see a significant increase in the number of children and young people protected against serious diseases, which are all potentially life-threatening.
Gillick Competency
People aged 16 or over are entitled to consent to their own treatment. This can only be overruled in exceptional circumstances.
Like adults, young people (aged 16 or 17) are presumed to have sufficient capacity to decide on their own medical treatment, unless there’s significant evidence to suggest otherwise.
Children under the age of 16 can consent to their own treatment if they’re believed to have enough intelligence, competence and understanding to fully appreciate what’s involved in their treatment. This is known as being Gillick competent. Read more HERE.
Contact Us
Our school-age Immunisation Team is always happy to speak to you, your school or your families. You can call or email us:
Cornwall:
kernowhealthcic.schoolimmunisation@nhs.net
Devon:
In the meantime, we hope you will find the information tabs and links useful. You will find material about why we are vaccinating, consent forms, timetables and other related subject matter. Consent forms can be found below:
Consent Forms
In order to access online consent forms,
please click on one of the links below, ensuring you enter your child’s unique school reference code.
HPV Consent Form
Flu Consent Form
Tetanus/Diphtheria/Polio and Meningitis Consent Form
As of September 2024, the immunisation programme will be as follows:
- Reception through to year 11 – Flu immunisation (upto age 18 in special schools)
- Year 8 girls and boys HPV
- Years 9, 10 and 11 girls and boys – Tetanus/Diphtheria/Polio and Meningitis ACWY
- Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) catch up vaccinations
Please note, that from September 1 2023, the HPV vaccination has changed from two doses to one dose. If you have any questions about this, please do not hesitate to call our team who will be happy to advise you.
There are some great videos online here that answer many questions parents might have about their child receiving the HPV vaccination. The videos are available in many different languages. You can view an English language version below:
Home Schooled Children
If your child is home-schooled, please contact us on 01872 221105 (Cornwall), or 01392 342678 (Devon) to book your child into one of our catch-up clinics.
Gillick Competency
People aged 16 or over are entitled to consent to their own treatment. This can only be overruled in exceptional circumstances.
Like adults, young people (aged 16 or 17) are presumed to have sufficient capacity to decide on their own medical treatment, unless there’s significant evidence to suggest otherwise.
Children under the age of 16 can consent to their own treatment if they’re believed to have enough intelligence, competence and understanding to fully appreciate what’s involved in their treatment. This is known as being Gillick competent. Read more HERE.
Contact Us
Our school-age Immunisation Team is always happy to speak to your children when they visit your child’s school, or to you if you would like to contact us:
Cornwall:
kernowhealthcic.schoolimmunisation@nhs.net
Devon:
In the meantime, we hope you will find the information tabs useful. You will find material about why we are vaccinating, consent forms, timetables and other related subject matter. Consent forms can be found below:
Consent Forms
In order to access online consent forms,
please click on one of the links below, ensuring you enter your child’s unique school reference code.
HPV Consent Form
Flu Consent Form
Tetanus/Diphtheria/Polio and Meningitis Consent Form
As of September 2024, the immunisation programme will be as follows:
- Reception through to year 11 – Flu immunisation (upto age 18 in special schools)
- Year 8 girls and boys HPV
- Years 9, 10 and 11 girls and boys – Tetanus/Diphtheria/Polio and Meningitis ACWY
- Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) catch up vaccinations
Information in other languages
If you are supporting someone who needs information in another language, open this pdf, and either scan the QR code of the required language, or enter the short link web address into your browser.
Contact Us
Our school-age Immunisation Team is always happy to speak to you, your staff and your pupils when they come to your schools. Alternatively you can call or email us using these contact details:
Cornwall:
kernowhealthcic.schoolimmunisation@nhs.net
Devon:
In the meantime, we hope you will find the information tabs useful. You will find material about why we are vaccinating, consent forms, timetables and other related subject matter. Consent forms can be found below:
Consent Forms
In order to access online consent forms,
please click on one of the links below, ensuring you enter your child’s unique school reference code.
HPV Consent Form
Flu Consent Form
Tetanus/Diphtheria/Polio and Meningitis Consent Form
We have produced some easy read leaflets to download which help to explain the vaccination process for both nasal and IM injection vaccinations.
Nasal flu vaccination – cartoon easy read leaflet
Nasal flu – storyboard easy read leaflet
IM injection – storyboard easy read leaflet
We have also produced some graphics to download and use on your social media channels to let your followers know when the school immunisation team will be visiting your school:
HPV vaccine video
Please view this informative video produced by Public Health England explaining how the HPV vaccine works and why it is so important. Follow the link and the video is available to download from the NHS website.
Consent Forms
In order to access online consent forms,
please click on one of the links below, ensuring you enter your child’s unique school reference code.
HPV Consent Form
Flu Consent Form
Tetanus/Diphtheria/Polio and Meningitis Consent Form
We are constantly striving to improve the quality of our service and we
welcome your honest comments on our School Immunisation feedback form.
Below are a list of useful links to the NHS for more information on vaccinations plus some short videos too:
Vaccination Guide
This guide can help you understand the vaccines offered in the UK and when to have them. It also explains how they work and why they’re safe and important. Click HERE.
Information in other languages
If you are supporting someone who needs information in another language, open this pdf, and either scan the QR code of the required language, or enter the short link web address into your browser.
Consent To Treatment
Consent to treatment means a person must give permission before they receive any type of medical treatment, test or examination. Click HERE.
Children’s Flu Vaccine
The children’s flu vaccine is safe and effective. It’s offered every year as a nasal spray to children to help protect them against flu. Click HERE.
3-in-1 Teenage Booster
Find answers to the most frequently asked questions about the 3-in-1 teenage booster jab. Click HERE.
HPV Vaccine
Girls and boys aged 12 to 13 years are offered the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine as part of the NHS vaccination programme. Click HERE.
Videos